July 1, 2005

Editor's Note: Kate Fleming passed away on December 14, 2006.

If you're looking for a way to keep your family entertained on a long car trip this summer, pick up a an audio book (on CD or cassette) read by Anna Fields, aka Kate Fleming '87. The award-winning audio book narrator and producer has recorded more than 200 titles!

Degree: Bachelor of arts in religion

Current city and state of residence: Seattle, Wash.

Current Occupation: Producer and audio book narrator and owner/operator of Cedar House Audio

Can you explain what it means to be a "producer and audio book narrator"? What exactly do you do?
I have contracts with several audio publishing houses. Some of these are independent of print publishers, such as Blackstone Audio. Some of them are the audio imprint of a large print publisher, such as Harper Audio. These companies send us books that they are publishing in audio format. If they have cast me as the reader, I narrate the book -- almost always unabridged. If they have cast another reader who works with us, I direct the reader through the recording session. Then my engineer and proofers edit and proof-listen to the recording. We create a master that we send back to the publisher. They mass produce and market the title. Audiobooks are now being marketed widely through libraries, in retail, and most recently in digital downloadable form. Everyone should check out www.audible.com.

What is Cedar House Audio?
Cedar House Audio is the production company through which I do my work. I founded it a few years ago as my production work expanded to include more than my own voice. You can find us on the Web at www.cedarhouseaudio.com.

I understand your listeners know you under a different name. What name is that?
I'm known to my listeners as Anna Fields.

Is there any significance to the name Anna Fields?
Anna Fields was my great-grandmother. She was an actress around the turn of the last century. I use her name as an homage to her.

How did you end up becoming a narrator?
I have an acting background. After leaving William and Mary, I studied at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Ky., in their apprentice company, went to New York for a couple of years, came home to the Washington, D.C., area (New York and I didn't get along) and was very busy in D.C. as a professional actress for about five years. I took a job working as a monitor in an audiobook studio owned by a fabulous narrator named Grover Gardner. There I fell in love with the artform. I did the sort of cliche thing of practicing in the studio after hours. Grover helped me make a demo tape. We overnighted it to a couple of audiobook publishing companies. I was hired by one the next day and the other one signed me up the following week.

How long have you been doing this?
I've been narrating about 10 years. Wow. That's amazing to see in print.

What are some of the things you've narrated?
Well, I've voiced over 200 titles. I can't stop talking! A quick and easy way to find examples of titles I've read is to go to www.audible.com and search Anna Fields. They've got over 60 at last count.

Some personal favorites include:
All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki. This book quietly hit the scene last year. It's quite a masterpiece. I always feel I need to explain it because people aren't really aware of it. I very highly recommend it in print or audio form.
Bel Canto by Anne Patchett
The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates. I've done a lot of Oates titles and she definitely loves exploring the dark side of people. But she's just a brilliant writer.
Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh
Any title by Louise Erdrich. I read Ms. Erdrich's titles for Harper Audio. I just finished her latest -- The Painted Drum -- last week. I can't even describe what happens to me when I narrate her work. I don't mean to sound flaky, but I sort of feel like I'm channeling her characters. Strange but wonderful.

What is your favorite thing about your profession?
I won an award last year and I began my acceptance speech by saying "I love my job!" three or four times. What's not to love? I get to read great books. I get to play every character in the fiction [books]. I'm creating a world in my head and sharing it with my listeners. My job gives me a chance to be the best actress I can be, by stretching my imagination to embody all kinds of people, places, times and voices. I can't imagine doing anything else. I feel blessed to have found the perfect thing for me.

I also really love directing other readers. Watching, or rather listening to, other talented readers bring their imaginations to life is a thrill. Plus, I love giving struggling actors paying work that they can really enjoy.

Is there anything you don't like about your job?
The deadlines are no fun. There's a phenomenon in the audiopublishing world called simultaneous publication. Both the print version and the audio version come onto the market at once. This really squeezes everyone in the process into very tight deadlines. In order to keep my publishers on both coasts happy, I have to work long hours. I've become a bit of a workaholic.

Why is it important to "bring to life" the written word through narration?
Storytelling is such a basic human experience. From the ancient campfire to the modern mom reading her kids a book at bedtime, we all love to tell and be told stories. Book narration has its roots in books for the blind and book-reading to workers in factories and shops. Obviously, it has grown far beyond that beginning. Some people feel that they would rather read a book themselves than hear it read to them -- my mother certainly feels this way. But an audiobook is a different art form than the written book. In the very beginning of my career a producer once said to me -- "The author is the creative artist and you are the interpretive artist." That really made a lot of sense to me. And I think that listening to books, or radio drama, or any other form of spoken word answers that basic desire we have to listen, to be told a story. A great interpretive artist can make a lasting impression. Jim Dale created over 100 different characters when he narrated the Harry Potter books! Who's to say if it's 'important'? I don't know, but I am quite sure that the world is a richer place for it.

You've won some awards for your narrating. What are those awards, who gives them and what do they signify?
Last spring I won an Audie award. I've been nominated for five altogether. This is the highest honor the audiobook industry bestows. The Audie is sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association. I've also won several Earphones awards granted by Audiofile magazine.

What was your favorite study spot on campus?
I loved the Sunken Gardens. Also, there was a little area near Wren Chapel where I loved to hunker down. Although I must confess there was quite a bit of late-night cramming in my room.

What do you miss most about Williamsburg?
The beauty and my friends. And my religion professors, especially my beloved advisor Hans Tiefel. I loved college.

How do you plan to spend your retirement?
I can't imagine retiring, but I suppose if I have to retire someday, it will include a lot of gardening.

What book are you reading now?
I'm currently producing a title called Puppets by Daniel Hecht with Jason Collins reading. I just finished The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich. I'll be starting Tabula Rasa by Shelley Reuben this afternoon [June 28].

Family:
I am very proud to report that my nephew Michael Schubert will begin his studies at Marshall-Wythe School of Law in September. My niece Mellie Fleming is a William and Mary alum as well.